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Featured Author

Juan Gabriel Vasquezbooks include the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin award winner and national bestseller, The Sound of Things Falling, as well as the award-winning The Informers and The Secret History of Costaguana.

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featured book

The Art of Rhetoric

Format

Paperback

Price

$16.00

Paperback

ISBN 9780140445107

304 Pages

3 Mar 1992

Penguin Classics

Adult

Overview

With the emergence of democracy in the city-state of Athens in the years around 460 BC, public speaking became an essential skill for politicians in the Assemblies and Councils – and even for ordinary citizens in the courts of law. In response, the technique of rhetoric rapidly developed, bringing virtuoso performances and a host of practical manuals for the layman. While many of these were little more than collections of debaters’ tricks, the Art of Rhetoric held a far deeper purpose. Here Aristotle establishes the methods of informal reasoning, provides the first aesthetic evaluation of prose style and offers detailed observations on character and the emotions. Hugely influential upon later Western culture, the Art of Rhetoric is a fascinating consideration of the force of persuasion and sophistry, and a compelling guide to the principles behind oratorical skill.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Table of Contents

The Art of Rhetoric – Aristotle Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Hugh Lawson-Tancred

PrefaceIntroduction:1. The Importance of Ancient Rhetoric2. The Historical Background to the Rhetoric3. Rhetoric as Techne4. Psychology in the Rhetoric5. Style and Composition6. The Rhetorical Legacy of Aristotle7. The Translation